Walking the Camino de Santiago by bike is an exciting and unforgettable adventure. During the cycling route known ancestral customs and hospitable people, make new friends with whom you share solidarity and feelings and discover a unique nature.
Make the Pilgrim supposed delve into landscapes full of contrasts between plateau and mountain meadows and shores, monuments, works of art in the form of cathedrals, bridges, streets and monasteries. But this experience goes far beyond. On this special tour in Spain will also share unique experiences with pilgrims of all ages, coming from different parts of the world, in shelters, on trails or on the road.
Choose the route
The first thing to do is decide the route that takes you to the Galician capital. There are several itineraries, although the French Way, which runs through the interior of the peninsula, is the busiest by thousands of pilgrims every year come to Santiago. This network of Jacobean routes in 1993 was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
Planning time
The route should be planned depending on the pace, strength and fitness of each, or group. If you do not have experience in gear with the bike must be trained before. If, however, you have a good physical preparation, you can make stages of between 80 and 140 miles a day, although the ideal is pedaling about 50 kilometers each day. At this average, in about two weeks may have gone all the way. If you do not want to do the full itinerary you can always choose a point closer to Santiago starting. Yes, it is imperative to at least 200 kilometers by bicycle to receive the Compostela, a document that you receive when you arrive at your destination and shows that have successfully made the pilgrimage route. During the march, the ideal is to intersperse days off, to regain energy and enjoy the most relevant parts of the road, which are many.
Prepare your luggage
Having chosen itinerary to pack. It should never be overstocked, but consider keeping spare parts for the bike (cameras, indoor, patches, wrenches, air pump, spray degreaser, rags); water; glasses; Vaseline to prevent chafing; padlock; flashlight; adequate spare clothes with raincoat and gloves included. And always wear a helmet and reflective vest, especially on the road. Luggage is complete with a basic kit, sleeping bag, utensils, toiletries, sunscreen, documentation and guidance.
Start up
With the bike loaded, the route studied and a good dose of enthusiasm, hope the asphalt. Every good pilgrim should have a credential that will validate in the different hostels and parishes, and certifying the completion of the road. This credential can be achieved by going to the Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago across Spain and abroad, in the Collegiate of Roncesvalles and in populations by passing the pilgrimage route. If when starting the march did not have the supporting document, simply ask at the tourist office in the town in which you live. Bear in mind that, along the way, food and drink are essential. It is important to bring some food for emergencies (figs, nuts, chocolate or nuts); replenish fluids to prevent dehydration, and never force: rest whenever necessary.
Enjoy the adventure
And starts a different way of knowing Spain. The crossing, clearly marked to avoid confusions and guidance at all times the cyclist, holds villages, people, landscapes, festivals, cuisine and countless art exhibitions. It is a route of contrasts, which await outstanding national parks and natural treasures such as the peaks of the Pyrenees; the Ebro and fertile orchards; the great plains of Castile, with wheat fields covering the horizon; the ascent to the Cruz de Ferro, 1,500 meters; and pastures and green meadows of Galicia and Asturias. And, along the way, mountains crisscrossed by trails. Almost every corner of the pilgrimage route hides a surprise, either in the form of landscape or monument.
Walking the Camino de Santiago by bike is therefore an excellent opportunity for a unique adventure through an itinerary that, for centuries, fascinates millions of pilgrims. In short, it is a different journey where you will find much of Spain and learn to know you better yourself.
0 comments:
Post a Comment